Bob Vylan, the British punk rock duo already mired in controversy for leading chants of “Death to the IDF” at the Glastonbury music festival this summer, is reportedly again at the center of international outrage.
On Saturday, the band’s frontman launched into a crude tirade against Charlie Kirk, the American conservative activist assassinated last week in Utah.
Performing at a concert in the Netherlands, Pascal Robinson-Foster, the band’s frontman, singled out Kirk in remarks that many are calling despicable. “I want to dedicate this next one to an absolute piece of sht of a human being!” Robinson-Foster shouted to the crowd. “The pronouns was/were! Because if you talk sht, you will get banged! Rest in peace Charlie Kirk, you piece of sh*t!”
The audience, far from recoiling, erupted in cheers. Robinson-Foster’s comments drew loud approval as the band transitioned into its next song.
Video of the remarks circulated widely online over the weekend, sparking anger across conservative and pro-Israel circles.
The UK chapter of Turning Point, the activist organization Kirk co-founded, posted the footage on X, underscoring the depths of hostility Kirk’s critics were willing to display just days after his killing.
The outburst is not the first time Bob Vylan has found itself in the spotlight for promoting violent rhetoric. In June, during a performance at the Glastonbury festival in England, Robinson-Foster led a chant of “Death to the IDF.”
The clip quickly went viral, prompting a wave of criticism from lawmakers, Jewish organizations, and audiences appalled by the band’s celebration of violence.
That incident prompted swift action from Washington. The U.S. State Department revoked the duo’s visas, barring them from entering the United States.
Christopher Landau, deputy secretary of state, issued a sharp rebuke at the time: “Foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.”
For many, Saturday’s remarks only confirmed the band’s embrace of provocation and hostility.
Coming so soon after Kirk’s murder, critics say, the rant illustrates the extent to which violent rhetoric has infected popular culture abroad and highlights the troubling celebration of political violence against conservatives.
Kirk, 31, was gunned down Wednesday while addressing students at Utah Valley University. His assassination has been widely condemned by leaders across the political spectrum, including every living former American president.
Yet in certain corners of social media, Kirk’s death has been mocked or even celebrated, underscoring the deep divisions in public discourse.
Robinson-Foster’s rant has already fueled calls for further restrictions on the band’s appearances. In both Britain and the United States, officials have warned about the dangers of glorifying violence at public events.
The State Department’s earlier move to bar the duo from the U.S. appears prescient in light of the band’s latest eruption.
Bob Vylan has long marketed itself as an anti-establishment punk act, but its penchant for glorifying violence has increasingly made the group a flashpoint in larger debates over free expression, extremism, and public decency. Saturday’s attack on Charlie Kirk, a man already slain for his beliefs, marks the most direct—and ugliest—example yet.
[READ MORE: Stephen A. Smith Condemns Killing of Charlie Kirk, Calls for Unity Beyond Politics]
